


AO3 Ship Stats 2016

by centreoftheselights



Series: AO3 Ship Stats [7]
Category: No Fandom
Genre: AO3 Statistics, Archived From Tumblr, Archived From centrumlumina Tumblr, Fandom Statistics, Femslash Fandom, Meta Essay, Nonfiction, Racism in fandom, Research, Sexism in Fandom, Slash Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2019-09-17 03:11:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/centreoftheselights/pseuds/centreoftheselights
Summary: Year Four of the AO3 Ship Stats project. This project aims to track and analyse the most popular pairings posted on AO3 over time.





	1. Overall Top 100

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted 4th August 2016.

  
  
  
  


 

After a brief delay due to technical troubles, here are the [AO3 Ship Stats](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1209645) for August 2016!

This list shows the 100 pairing tags with the most fanfics posted on [Archive Of Our Own](https://archiveofourown.org/). There are 61 M/M pairings, 26 F/M, 4 F/F, 4 Gen and 5 Other. (Please note that on AO3, ‘Name & Name’ indicates platonic relationships (Gen), while ‘Name/Name’ is used for romantic pairings.)

Of the 200 names on the list, 34 belong to women and 5 to characters of indeterminate gender, up from 33 and 2 respectively in the [2015 list](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16939503/chapters/39803838). There are 27 POC and 15 racially ambiguous characters, up from 24 and 12.

For more information on this list, please see the [FAQ post](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966566/chapters/39875961). You might also want to check out the [Top 100 pairings of This Year](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966566/chapters/39875103).

[Image transcription:

Rank Change Pairing Tag Fandom Works Type Race  
1 0 Castiel/Dean Winchester Supernatural 56,390 M/M White  
2 0 Sherlock Holmes/John Watson Sherlock (TV) 46,048 M/M White  
3 0 Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski Teen Wolf (TV) 42,539 M/M White  
4 0 Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson One Direction (Band) 27,354 M/M White  
5 2 James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers Captain America (Movies) 21,639 M/M White  
6 -1 Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester Supernatural 18,976 M/M White  
7 1 Steve Rogers/Tony Stark The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 16,414 M/M White  
8 -2 Merlin/Arthur Pendragon Merlin (TV) 15,778 M/M White  
9 0 Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 15,190 M/M White  
10 0 Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel Glee 12,943 M/M Whi/POC  
11 -11 Sherlock Holmes & John Watson Sherlock (TV) 12,484 Gen White  
12 1 Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies) 10,365 M/M White  
13 3 Levi/Eren Yeager Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan 10,116 M/M White  
14 -2 Rodney McKay/John Sheppard Stargate Atlantis 9,745 M/M White  
15 -1 Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki Supernatural RPF 9,636 M/M White  
16 -1 Clint Barton/Phil Coulson The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 8,894 M/M White  
17 1 Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 8,812 F/M White  
18 3 Gabriel/Sam Winchester Supernatural 8,513 M/M White  
19 20 Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter Hannibal (TV) 8,488 M/M White  
20 -1 Zayn Malik/Liam Payne One Direction (Band) 8,060 M/M Whi/POC  
21 9 Sirius Black/Remus Lupin Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 8,006 M/M White  
22 -5 Enjolras/Grantaire Les Misérables - All Media Types 7,907 M/M White  
23 1 Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield The Hobbit - All Media Types 7,719 M/M White  
24 13 Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak Arrow (TV 2012) 7,665 F/M White  
25 -3 James T. Kirk/Spock Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies) 7,501 M/M White  
26 -6 Steve McGarrett/Danny “Danno” Williams Hawaii Five-0 (2010) 7,484 M/M White  
27 13 Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan Once Upon a Time (TV) 7,239 F/F Whi/POC  
28 -3 Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich Shameless (US) 6,885 M/M White  
29 2 Pepper Potts/Tony Stark The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 6,869 F/M White  
30 15 Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin The 100 (TV) 6,756 F/M Whi/POC  
31 -5 Harry Potter/Severus Snape Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 6,751 M/M White  
32 4 Frank Iero/Gerard Way My Chemical Romance 6,667 M/M White  
33 -6 Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones Torchwood 6,666 M/M White  
34 -6 Loki/Thor Thor (Movies) 6,506 M/M White  
35 -6 Allison Argent/Scott McCall Teen Wolf (TV) 6,471 F/M Whi/POC  
36 45 Dan Howell/Phil Lester Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF) 6,465 M/M White  
37 7 Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan Once Upon a Time (TV) 6,406 F/M White  
38 -15 Jim Ellison/Blair Sandburg The Sentinel 6,250 M/M White  
39 N Clarke Griffin/Lexa The 100 (TV) 6,049 F/F White  
40 -6 Mycroft Holmes/Lestrade Sherlock (TV) 6,028 M/M White  
41 -9 James T. Kirk/Leonard McCoy Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies) 5,678 M/M White  
42 -7 Loki/Tony Stark The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 5,639 M/M White  
43 -1 Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold Once Upon a Time (TV) 5,530 F/M White  
44 -11 Clark Kent/Lex Luthor Smallville 5,511 M/M White  
45 -7 Arthur/Eames (Inception) Inception (2010) 5,490 M/M White  
46 17 Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford Dragon Age: Inquisition 5,400 Other Whi/Amb  
47 -6 Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan 5,304 M/M White  
48 -5 Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper Sherlock (TV) 5,172 F/M White  
49 5 Castiel & Dean Winchester Supernatural 4,945 Gen White  
50 -3 Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 4,792 F/M Whi/Amb  
51 33 Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio Haikyuu!! 4,734 M/M POC  
52 -3 Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler Doctor Who (2005) 4,709 F/M White  
53 4 James Bond/Q James Bond (Craig movies) 4,483 M/M White  
54 N Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare 4,346 M/M Whi/POC  
55 N Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru Haikyuu!! 4,281 M/M POC  
56 -8 Mary Morstan/John Watson Sherlock (TV) 4,275 F/M White  
57 N Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) 4,256 M/M White  
58 -12 John Egbert/Dave Strider Homestuck 4,184 M/M Ambig  
59 3 Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester Supernatural 4,163 Gen White  
60 16 Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein Carmilla (Web Series) 4,101 F/F White  
61 -9 Niall Horan/Harry Styles One Direction (Band) 4,023 M/M White  
62 -9 Jane Foster/Thor The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 4,000 F/M White  
63 -7 Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins 3,976 F/M Whi/Amb  
64 15 Patrick Stump/Pete Wentz Fall Out Boy 3,952 M/M Whi/POC  
65= 26 James “Bucky” Barnes & Steve Rogers Captain America (Movies) 3,893 Gen White  
65= -5 Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester Supernatural 3,893 F/M White  
67 -17 Carlos/Cecil Palmer Welcome to Night Vale 3,827 M/M Amb/POC  
68 0 Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 3,719 F/M White  
69 N Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Miraculous Ladybug 3,712 F/M Whi/POC  
70 -19 Niall Horan/Zayn Malik One Direction (Band) 3,700 M/M Whi/POC  
71 -5 Levi/Erwin Smith Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan 3,681 M/M White  
72 N Inquisitor/Solas Dragon Age: Inquisition 3,667 Other Whi/Amb  
73 N Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV) 3,612 F/M White  
74 -16 Sebastian Moran/James Moriarty Sherlock (TV) 3,526 M/M White  
75 -20 Daniel Jackson/Jack O'Neill Stargate SG-1 3,502 M/M White  
76 -7 Nanase Haruka/Tachibana Makoto Free! 3,499 M/M POC  
77 6 James Potter/Lily Evans Potter Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 3,442 F/M White  
78 -1 America (Hetalia)/England (Hetalia) Hetalia: Axis Powers 3,374 M/M White  
79 -15 Bruce Banner/Tony Stark The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 3,314 M/M White  
80 -7 Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 3,303 F/M Whi/Amb  
81 -14 Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes Teen Wolf (TV) 3,286 F/M Whi/POC  
82 N Harry Hart/Gary “Eggsy” Unwin Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015) 3,281 M/M White  
83 -22 Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore Teen Wolf (TV) 3,280 F/M White  
84 -25 Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski due South 3,269 M/M White  
85 -7 Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski Teen Wolf (TV) 3,264 M/M White  
86 -14 Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam Homestuck 3,188 F/F Ambig  
87 -16 Spike/Buffy Summers Buffy the Vampire Slayer 3,170 F/M White  
88 N Josh Dun/Tyler Joseph Twenty One Pilots 3,169 M/M Whi/POC  
89 4 Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas Homestuck 3,091 M/M Ambig  
90 N Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin Bangtan Boys | BTS 3,080 M/M POC  
91 N Fenris/Hawke Dragon Age II 3,054 Other Amb/POC  
92 -27 Eleventh Doctor/River Song Doctor Who (2005) 2,956 F/M White  
93 -5 Lydia Martin/Stiles Stilinski Teen Wolf (TV) 2,942 F/M White  
94 N Poe Dameron/Finn Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) 2,940 M/M POC  
95 0 Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto Naruto 2,931 M/M POC  
96 -22 Gavin Free/Michael Jones Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF 2,929 M/M White  
97 N Fox Mulder/Dana Scully The X-Files 2,882 F/M White  
98 -28 Sam Carter/Jack O'Neill Stargate SG-1 2,830 F/M White  
99 -8 Kaidan Alenko/Shepard Mass Effect 2,792 Other Amb/POC  
100 N Alistair/Warden (Dragon Age) Dragon Age: Origins 2,769 Other Amb/POC]


	2. This Year's Top 100

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 4th August 2016.

  
  
  
  


For the first time ever, here to accompany the [2016 AO3 Ship Stats list](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966566/chapters/39874710), this list shows the 100 most popular pairing tags on [Archive Of Our Own](https://archiveofourown.org/) since this time last year.

This list was created by comparison of current number of fics with data gathered for the [2015 AO3 Ship Stats](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16939503/chapters/39803838). Values are only approximate, but this list gives some idea of the most popular pairings in the last 13 months (from July 2015 to August 2016).

There are 63 M/M pairings on the list, 19 F/M, 7 F/F, 5 Gen and 6 Other. (Please note that on AO3, ‘Name & Name’ indicates platonic relationships (Gen), while ‘Name/Name’ is used for romantic pairings.) Of the 200 names on the list, 34 are women and 7 are characters of ambiguous gender. 49 are POC, and 15 are racially ambiguous.

For more information about the AO3 Ship Stats project, please check out [this year’s post](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966566/chapters/39874710), and the [accompanying FAQs](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966566/chapters/39875961).

[Image transcription:

Rank Pairing Fandom New Works Total Type Race  
1 Castiel/Dean Winchester Supernatural 13,204 56,363 M/M White  
2 James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers Captain America (Movies) 9,327 21,626 M/M White  
3 Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski Teen Wolf (TV) 7,591 42,531 M/M White  
4 Sherlock Holmes/John Watson Sherlock (TV) 6,661 46,030 M/M White  
5 Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson One Direction (Band) 5,732 27,375 M/M White  
6 Clarke Griffin/Lexa The 100 (TV) 4,628 6,045 F/F White  
7 Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) 4,601 4,601 M/M White  
8 Steve Rogers/Tony Stark The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 4,432 16,407 M/M White  
9 Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester Supernatural 4,313 18,972 M/M White  
10 Dan Howell/Phil Lester Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF) 4,220 6,418 M/M White  
11 Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter Hannibal (TV) 3,863 8,486 M/M White  
12 Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Miraculous Ladybug 3,705 3,705 F/M Whi/POC  
13 Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 3,632 15,176 M/M White  
14 Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare 3,277 4,342 M/M Whi/POC  
15 Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru Haikyuu!! 3,249 4,278 M/M POC  
16 Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin The 100 (TV) 3,131 6,752 F/M Whi/POC  
17 Poe Dameron/Finn Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) 2,938 2,938 M/M POC  
18 Levi/Eren Yeager Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan 2,912 10,110 M/M White  
19 Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak Arrow (TV 2012) 2,803 7,661 F/M White  
20 Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan Once Upon a Time (TV) 2,725 6,402 F/M White  
21 Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin Bangtan Boys | BTS 2,694 3,080 M/M POC  
22 Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio Haikyuu!! 2,657 4,734 M/M POC  
23 Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan Once Upon a Time (TV) 2,637 7,238 F/F Whi/POC  
24 Sirius Black/Remus Lupin Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 2,544 8,005 M/M White  
25 Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford Dragon Age: Inquisition 2,504 5,398 Other Whi/Amb  
26 Merlin/Arthur Pendragon Merlin (TV) 2,440 15,775 M/M White  
27 Josh Dun/Tyler Joseph Twenty One Pilots 2,403 3,170 M/M Whi/POC  
28 Gabriel/Sam Winchester Supernatural 2,192 8,511 M/M White  
29 Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V Bangtan Boys | BTS 2,182 2,476 M/M POC  
30 Inquisitor/Solas Dragon Age: Inquisition 2,096 3,669 Other Whi/Amb  
31 Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) 2,082 2,082 F/M White  
32 Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 2,064 8,809 F/M White  
33 Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel Glee 2,034 12,934 M/M Whi/POC  
34 Harry Hart/Gary “Eggsy” Unwin Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015) 2,002 3,281 M/M White  
35 Sherlock Holmes & John Watson Sherlock (TV) 1,966 12,484 Gen White  
36 Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou Haikyuu!! 1,959 2,383 M/M POC  
37 James “Bucky” Barnes & Steve Rogers Captain America (Movies) 1,930 3,890 Gen White  
38 Bill Cipher/Dipper Pines Gravity Falls 1,907 2,655 M/M Whi/Amb  
39 Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki Supernatural RPF 1,892 9,634 M/M White  
40 Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi Haikyuu!! 1,865 2,762 M/M POC  
41 Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies) 1,826 10,362 M/M White  
42 Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens Hamilton – Miranda 1,807 1,807 M/M POC  
43 Clarke Griffin & Lexa The 100 (TV) 1,804 2,735 Gen White  
44 Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV) 1,802 3,610 F/M White  
45 Frank Iero/Gerard Way My Chemical Romance 1,773 6,666 M/M White  
46 Mark Fischbach/Sean McLoughlin Video Blogging RPF 1,756 1,756 M/M Whi/POC  
47 Castiel & Dean Winchester Supernatural 1,752 4,941 Gen White  
48 Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold Once Upon a Time (TV) 1,715 5,534 F/M White  
49 Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin Bangtan Boys | BTS 1,697 1,884 M/M POC  
50 Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein Carmilla (Web Series) 1,671 4,100 F/F White  
51 Sans (Undertale)/You Undertale (Video Game) 1,641 1,641 Other Ambig  
52= Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield The Hobbit - All Media Types 1,637 7,712 M/M White  
52= Patrick Stump/Pete Wentz Fall Out Boy 1,637 3,952 M/M Whi/POC  
54 Fox Mulder/Dana Scully The X-Files 1,553 2,880 F/M White  
55 Dan Howell & Phil Lester Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF) 1,485 2,148 M/M White  
56 Kim Namjoon | Rap Monster/Kim Seokjin | Jin Bangtan Boys | BTS 1,484 1,662 M/M POC  
57 Dean Winchester/You Supernatural 1,465 2,324 Other Whi/Amb  
58 Hyakuya Mikaela/Hyakuya Yuuichirou Owari no Seraph | Seraph of the End 1,453 1,635 M/M POC  
59 Alphys/Undyne Undertale (Video Game) 1,432 1,432 F/F Ambig  
60 Pepper Potts/Tony Stark The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 1,425 6,865 F/M White  
61 Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi Haikyuu!! 1,422 2,188 M/M POC  
62 Zayn Malik/Liam Payne One Direction (Band) 1,416 8,081 M/M Whi/POC  
63 Clint Barton/Phil Coulson The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 1,412 8,891 M/M White  
64 Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper Sherlock (TV) 1,382 5,171 F/M White  
65= James Bond/Q James Bond (Craig movies) 1,350 4,485 M/M White  
65= James Potter/Lily Evans Potter Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 1,350 3,441 F/M White  
67 Barry Allen/Leonard Snart The Flash (TV 2014) 1,323 1,461 M/M Whi/POC  
68 Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden Emmerdale 1,321 1,702 M/M White  
69 Peter Parker/Wade Wilson Spider-Man - All Media Types 1,317 2,755 M/M White  
70 Genos/Saitama (One-Punch Man) One-Punch Man 1,297 1,297 M/M POC  
71 Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler Doctor Who (2005) 1,282 4,710 F/M White  
72 Fenris/Hawke Dragon Age II 1,264 3,052 Other Amb/POC  
73= Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester Supernatural 1,254 4,159 Gen White  
73= James T. Kirk/Spock Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies) 1,254 7,499 M/M White  
75 Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 1,248 4,789 F/M Whi/Amb  
76 Octavia Blake/Lincoln The 100 (TV) 1,227 1,968 F/M Whi/POC  
77 Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater 1,208 1,613 M/M White  
78 Eric Bittle/Jack Zimmermann Check Please! (Webcomic) 1,197 1,446 M/M White  
79 Rodney McKay/John Sheppard Stargate Atlantis 1,192 9,741 M/M White  
80 Leia Organa/Han Solo Star Wars - All Media Types 1,180 1,437 F/M White  
81 Michael Clifford/Luke Hemmings 5 Seconds of Summer (Band) 1,168 2,455 M/M White  
82 Twelfth Doctor/Clara Oswin Oswald Doctor Who (2005) 1,160 1,730 F/M White  
83 Nico di Angelo/Will Solace Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan 1,157 2,268 M/M White  
84 Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan 1,152 5,303 M/M White  
85 Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas Homestuck 1,135 3,091 M/M Ambig  
86 Iron Bull/Dorian Pavus Dragon Age: Inquisition 1,130 1,787 M/M Amb/POC  
87 Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou Haikyuu!! 1,091 1,581 M/M POC  
88 Enjolras/Grantaire Les Misérables - All Media Types 1,075 7,907 M/M White  
89 Inquisitor/Dorian Pavus Dragon Age: Inquisition 1,063 1,925 Other Amb/POC  
90 Daryl Dixon/Rick Grimes The Walking Dead (TV) 1,055 2,115 M/M White  
91 Root | Samantha Groves/Sameen Shaw Person of Interest (TV) 1,049 1,896 F/F Whi/POC  
92 Mycroft Holmes/Lestrade Sherlock (TV) 1,040 6,027 M/M White  
93 Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 1,026 3,714 F/M White  
94 Kara Danvers/Cat Grant Supergirl (TV 2015) 1,003 1,003 F/F White  
95 Korra/Asami Sato Avatar: Legend of Korra 999 2,749 F/F POC  
96 Illya Kuryakin/Napoleon Solo The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015) 997 1,501 M/M White  
97 Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Min Yoongi | Suga Bangtan Boys | BTS 995 1,147 M/M POC  
98 Loki (Marvel)/Reader Marvel Cinematic Universe 992 1,086 Other Whi/Amb  
99 Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto Naruto 987 2,935 M/M POC  
100 Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich Shameless (US) 982 6,884 M/M White]


	3. Femslash Top 100

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 7th August 2016.

  
  
  
  


As part of the August 2016 [AO3 Ship Stats](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1209645), here are the Top 100 F/F pairings with the most total works on [Archive Of Our Own](https://archiveofourown.org/).

Of the 200 names on this list, there are 34 women of colour and 38 women of ambiguous race. For comparison, the [overall top 100 list](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966566/chapters/39874710)  includes 27 people of colour and 15 who are racially ambiguous.

Because of the way I produced this data, it is possible some F/F ships are missing, particularly those in fandoms dominated by other categories of ship. Also, this is the first year I have included race data on the Femslash list, so corrections are welcome.

For more information, see the [Overall Top 100](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966566/chapters/39874710), [This Year’s Top 100](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966566/chapters/39875103) and the [project FAQs](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966566/chapters/39875961).

[Image transcription:

Rank Change Pairing Fandom Works Race  
1 0 Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan Once Upon a Time (TV) 7,249 Whi/POC  
2 6 Clarke Griffin/Lexa The 100 (TV) 6,064 White  
3 0 Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein Carmilla (Web Series) 4,103 White  
4 -2 Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam Homestuck 3,190 Ambig  
5 0 Korra/Asami Sato Avatar: Legend of Korra 2,753 POC  
6 -2 Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce Glee 2,101 Whi/POC  
7 -1 Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan 2,057 White  
8 6 Root | Samantha Groves/Sameen Shaw Person of Interest (TV) 1,899 Whi/POC  
9 -2 Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray Glee 1,743 White  
10 1 Peggy Carter/Angie Martinelli Agent Carter (TV) 1,705 White  
11 -2 Allison Argent/Lydia Martin Teen Wolf (TV) 1,601 White  
12 N Alphys/Undyne Undertale (Video Game) 1,448 Ambig  
13 8 Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell Pitch Perfect (Movies) 1,377 White  
14 -4 Myka Bering/Helena “H. G.” Wells Warehouse 13 1,285 White  
15 -3 Jemma Simmons/Skye | Daisy Johnson Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV) 1,223 Whi/POC  
16 -3 Delphine Cormier/Cosima Niehaus Orphan Black (TV) 1,217 White  
17 N Kara Danvers/Cat Grant Supergirl (TV 2015) 1,043 White  
18 -1 Mikasa Ackerman/Annie Leonhart Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan 996 Whi/POC  
19 -4 Maura Isles/Jane Rizzoli Rizzoli & Isles 931 White  
20 12 Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long RWBY 865 White  
21 -5 Anna/Elsa (Frozen) Frozen (2013) 850 White  
22 N Maxine Caulfield/Chloe Price Life Is Strange (Video Game) 845 White  
23 -4 Tara Maclay/Willow Rosenberg Buffy the Vampire Slayer 777 White  
24 -4 Pepper Potts/Natasha Romanov The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 775 White  
25 -7 Gwen/Morgana (Merlin) Merlin (TV) 774 Whi/POC  
26 -1 Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell Game of Thrones (TV) 712 White  
27 -5 Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs The Devil Wears Prada (2006) 700 White  
28 21 Ashlyn Harris/Ali Krieger Women’s Soccer RPF 695 White  
29 -6 Terezi Pyrope/Vriska Serket Homestuck 691 Ambig  
30 -2 Female Shepard/Liara T'Soni Mass Effect 672 Ambig  
31 44 Pacifica Northwest/Mabel Pines Gravity Falls 665 White  
32 2 Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee RWBY 656 White  
33 -9 Faith Lehane/Buffy Summers Buffy the Vampire Slayer 651 White  
34 -3 Maria Hill/Natasha Romanov Marvel Cinematic Universe 648 White  
35 4 Malia Tate/Kira Yukimura Teen Wolf (TV) 597 Whi/POC  
36 6 Nyssa al Ghul/Sara Lance Arrow (TV 2012) 591 Whi/POC  
37 N Pearl/Rose Quartz Steven Universe (Cartoon) 560 Ambig  
38 -11 Jane Crocker/Roxy Lalonde Homestuck 558 Ambig  
39 N Ruby/Sapphire Steven Universe (Cartoon) 557 Ambig  
40 21 Tobin Heath/Alex Morgan Women’s Soccer RPF 524 White  
41 N Shimizu Kiyoko/Yachi Hitoka Haikyuu!! 504 POC  
42 N Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught Wynonna Earp (TV) 500 White  
43 -7 Female Hawke/Isabela Dragon Age II 493 Amb/POC  
44 -18 Quinn Fabray/Santana Lopez Glee 489 Whi/POC  
45 -8 Laura Hollis/Danny Lawrence Carmilla (Web Series) 479 White  
46 N Octavia Blake/Raven Reyes The 100 (TV) 477 Whi/POC  
47 -4 Charlie Bradbury/Jo Harvelle Supernatural 475 White  
48 24 Leliana/Female Warden Dragon Age: Origins 447 Whi/Amb  
49 -20 Kahlan Amnell/Cara Mason Legend of the Seeker 434 White  
50 -5 Princess Bubblegum/Marceline Adventure Time 430 Ambig  
51 -21 Rachel Berry/Santana Lopez Glee 423 Whi/POC  
52 N Lapis Lazuli/Peridot Steven Universe (Cartoon) 421 Ambig  
53 N Amethyst/Pearl (Steven Universe) Steven Universe (Cartoon) 418 Ambig  
54 44 Kelley O'Hara/Hope Solo Women’s Soccer RPF 413 White  
55 -3 Belle/Red Riding Hood | Ruby Once Upon a Time (TV) 412 White  
56 -8 Kaiou Michiru/Tenoh Haruka Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 410 POC  
57 -19 Cosette Fauchelevent/Éponine Thénardier Les Misérables - All Media Types 407 White  
58 -25 Kanaya Maryam/Vriska Serket Homestuck 406 Ambig  
59 -18 Cora Hale/Lydia Martin Teen Wolf (TV) 404 White  
60 8 Female Inquisitor/Josephine Montilyet Dragon Age: Inquisition 397 Amb/POC  
61 -21 Gail Peck/Holly Stewart Rookie Blue 392 White  
62 -27 Bo/Lauren Lewis Lost Girl 384 White  
63 -5 Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 383 White  
64 18 Clarke Griffin/Raven Reyes The 100 (TV) 379 Whi/POC  
65 -8 Dorothy Baum/Charlie Bradbury Supernatural 368 White  
66= -16 Gabrielle/Xena Xena: Warrior Princess 367 White  
66= -12 Jennifer “JJ” Jareau/Emily Prentiss Criminal Minds 367 White  
68 N Female Inquisitor/Sera Dragon Age: Inquisition 362 Whi/Amb  
69 -22 Arizona Robbins/Calliope “Callie” Torres Grey’s Anatomy 356 Whi/POC  
70 -26 Sam Carter/Janet Fraiser Stargate SG-1 346 White  
71 -18 Jade Harley/Rose Lalonde Homestuck 343 Ambig  
72 -21 Jenny Flint/Madame Vastra Doctor Who (2005) 336 Whi/Amb  
73 N Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood Shadowhunters (TV) 333 Whi/POC  
74 8 Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel Batman - All Media Types 332 White  
75= -29 Alicia Florrick/Kalinda Sharma The Good Wife (TV) 310 Whi/POC  
75= -20 Irene Adler/Molly Hooper Sherlock (TV) 310 White  
77 -15 Akemi Homura/Kaname Madoka Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica 306 POC  
78 -15 Piper Chapman/Alex Vause Orange is the New Black 303 White  
79 -21 Brenda Leigh Johnson/Sharon Raydor The Closer 302 White  
80 -8 Kate Bishop/America Chavez Young Avengers 301 Whi/POC  
81 -14 Hermione Granger/Ginny Weasley Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 298 Whi/Amb  
82 -11 Darcy Lewis/Natasha Romanov The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 291 White  
83 -27 Aurora/Mulan Once Upon a Time (TV) 288 Whi/POC  
84 N Garnet/Pearl (Steven Universe) Steven Universe (Cartoon) 286 Ambig  
85 6 Camila Cabello/Lauren Jauregui Fifth Harmony (Band) 285 POC  
86= N Astra/Alex Danvers Supergirl (TV 2015) 281 White  
86= 3 Morgana/Morgause (Merlin) Merlin (TV) 281 White  
88 N Maya Hart/Riley Matthews Girl Meets World 280 White  
89 -23 Karma Ashcroft/Amy Raudenfeld Faking It (TV 2014) 279 White  
90 -30 Tori Vega/Jade West Victorious 275 Whi/POC  
91 N Maxine Caulfield/Victoria Chase Life Is Strange (Video Game) 271 White  
92 N Jasper/Peridot (Steven Universe) Steven Universe (Cartoon) 270 Ambig  
93 -23 Olivia Benson/Alexandra Cabot Law & Order: SVU 269 White  
94= N Alicia Clark/Elyza Lex The 100 (TV) 262 White  
94= N Costia/Lexa (The 100) The 100 (TV) 262 Whi/Amb  
96 N Fareeha “Pharah” Amari/Angela “Mercy” Ziegler Overwatch (Video Game) 259 Whi/POC  
97 N Jessika Pava/Rey Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) 258 Whi/POC  
98 N Anya/Raven Reyes The 100 (TV) 254 POC  
99= -30 Katniss Everdeen/Johanna Mason Hunger Games Series - All Media Types 253 Whi/Amb  
99= -36 Meenah Peixes/Aranea Serket Homestuck 253 Ambig]


	4. FAQ

This is an FAQ post for the [AO3 Ship Stats 2016](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966566/chapters/39874710) and the accompanying [This Year’s Top 100 list](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966566/chapters/39875103).

**I’ve found a mistake!**

I try my hardest to ensure the data on the chart is 100% accurate, but I’m not a perfect fact-checking machine. Please check the post in question for edits and read the rest of these FAQs, but if you can’t find a correction or an explanation, please drop me a message.

**What exactly is this measuring?  
**

This measures the number of publicly-accessible works posted in Relationship tag displayed on [Archive Of Our Own](https://archiveofourown.org/). The data was retrieved on 3 August 2016, and the comparison data for the This Year list was retrieved as part of [last year’s list](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16939503/chapters/39803838).

Because of the way AO3 tags work, all sub-tags and synonymous tags are also counted automatically. The data gathering technique I use cannot access locked fics, so fandoms with a high proportion of locked fics (e.g. RPF) may be lower than expected.

**What do all of the columns on the chart mean?**

Rank - The ranking of this pairing out of all of the pairings on AO3, listed by number of works tagged with that pairing in the period specified (the last year or all time). 1 is the most frequently tagged pairing, 10 is the tenth most, etc.

Change - The change in rank between this year’s top 100 and [last year’s top 100](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16939503/chapters/39803838). Positive numbers mean the pairing has moved up the list, negative mean it has moved down. N indicates that this is a new pairing which was not in last year’s top 100.

Pairing Tag - The pairing tag being considered. Because AO3 has a tag heirarchy, this includes all tags which the site considers synonymous to or sub-sets of the main tag.

Fandom - The fandom most frequently tagged in association with the pairing tag.

Works/Total - The number of fanworks (typically fanfics) tagged with that pairing, as of 3rd August 2016.

New Works - The number of new fanworks created in the time between 3 August 2016 and 7th July 2015, calculated as the difference between the number of pairings in this dataset and the number in the 2015 dataset.

Type - The genders of the characters/people involved in the relationship. M indicates male, F female. Other is used for characters of ambiguous gender. Gen indicates that the tag is for a platonic or familial relationship, not a romantic one (indicated on AO3 by an & symbol).

Race - The races of the characters/people involved in the pairing. Whi indicates white, amb or ambig indicates ambiguous, POC indicates person/people of colour.

**How is the race category determined?**

The categories for race are defined as follows:

White - Any character/person described as white and/or portrayed on-screen by a white actor. (Please note that this includes ethnically Jewish characters/people, such as Erik Lehnsherr or Adam Lambert. This is due to the limitations of the White/POC categorisation system.)

POC - A character/person described as a person of colour (black, Asian, Latin@, mixed race, etc.) and/or portrayed on-screen by an actor of colour.

Ambiguous race - A character whose race is not described or is stated to be ambiguous, characters of species with non-human skin tones, video game characters whose race can be chosen or changed by the player, and/or characters whose race varies between adaptations of the work. Please note that real people cannot be racially ambiguous.

**What about background pairings?**

Because of the way AO3′s tagging system works, there is no way to differentiate between the main pairing in a work and minor, or background, pairings. Some of the pairings on these lists may be popular primarily as a secondary pairing in works about another couple.

I have not done any research into background pairings with this data set. However, in the [2013 version of this project](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16911123/chapters/39730371), I found that the background pairing effect was most common with F/M, and to a lesser extent F/F, ships.

**How was this data gathered?**

The raw data was collected from AO3 using a web-scraping program of my own design. All of the data collected is publicly available to any user of the site. In order to reduce the risk of errors in the collection, the data-gathering process was repeated three times, and the top 110 pairings were then checked again to verify rankings.

The data has been processed in order to remove duplicates, synonyms, non-specific tags and tags involving original characters only. Data on gender and race was copied from last year’s list or added by hand.

**What point are you trying to make?**

All of the information in the main post is intended to be factual and verifiable. However, the data is presented in order to the lack of fanfiction focussed on women, F/F pairings, and People of Colour. If you wish to learn more about my views on this topic, please read my essays [Why M/M? ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16976958)and [Misogyny?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16911123/chapters/39731508) and my [analysis of race in the AO3 Ship Stats](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16976571).


End file.
